


Trapped in Robotics

by Boobiezmaxxx



Category: HIStory3 - 圈套 | HIStory3: Trapped
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Hongye kicks ass and is a severely underrated character, I do what I want, M/M, Minor Violence, No Smut, Secret Relationship, Swearing, They're just dumb and cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:48:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 6,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24241567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Boobiezmaxxx/pseuds/Boobiezmaxxx
Summary: Shao Fei, Tang Yi, Jack, and Zhao Zi are all in college and in the same department. Everyone has a plan for how the year will go, but even the best laid plans can veer off-track when suddenly you're dating your self-professed rival.
Relationships: Jack | Fang Liangdian/Zhao Li'an | Zhao-zi, Meng Shaofei/Tang Yi
Comments: 4
Kudos: 77





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> First fic! First time writing for fun in like... eons! Firsts all around. S/O to my sister for the (un)helpful and (un)constructive criticism.

It all started, Meng Shao Fei would say, when Tang Yi transferred into his highschool. Shao Fei had been the top student of his class for four years, and was determined to get into the best National University possible. When the transfer student came, Shao Fei barely noticed. There wasn't an introduction in the front of the class like in the dramas. Instead, one day right before the testing for university placement began, a new, stoic, face appeared. 

If asked, Shao Fei would say that the first thing he noticed about Tang Yi was how nice and neat his uniform was. Clearly pressed, lint free, and with a tie pin glittering on his chest. In comparison, Shao Fei's rumpled shirt and haphazardly knotted tie stood out. He also noticed how attractive the new student was, but he'll omit sharing this fact for quite a few years. In fact, he'd vehemently deny any attraction to Tang Yi despite the constant questioning by his friends. 

The first test that they both sat changed everything. Suddenly, Shao Fei's name was next to the number two and Tang Yi's name, seemingly effortlessly, appeared above his in the coveted number one slot. From that day forward, Shao Fei swore that Tang Yi was his rival and that he would never lose to him again. He increased his study habits and began keeping tabs on Tang Yi, "to see how he studies," not because he wanted to look at his pretty face, thank you very much. Keeping an eye on your rivals is a perfectly normal strategy.

When the furious studying and feverous exam taking for university placement finally finished, their classroom was buzzing with curiosity to find out who of the two rivals had come on top. Rivals, some had commented, was a strong word, as it appeared Tang Yi never took notice of Shao Fei and didn't acknowledge their rivalry. Shao Fei, however, had enough passion and gusto to make up for Tang Yi's complete lack of enthusiasm. 

Unfortunately for Shao Fei, he was sick the day results came out and missed class for several days. Rumors flew, ranging everything from Shao Fei failed the tests completely and didn't make it into University, to he was in a terrible car accident and died, to he changed his mind and chose to become a police officer instead of going to university. Whatever the wildest stories, the one that stuck was that Shao Fei didn't get into his choice of university and was laying home, depressed. The leaders behind this theory were quick to point out that Shao Fei seemed to spend more time watching Tang Yi study than actually studying himself. An observation which, when pointed out to the class, made complete sense because Shao Fei did spend an inordinate amount of time doing precisely that.

Tang Yi, who up until that point feigned no interest in the rumors circulating, made a rare move to try and save Shao Fei's rapidly deteriorating reputation: he lied. Because, despite his outward indifference and occasional annoyance at Shao Fei's incessant attention, he actually almost liked him. 

Perhaps like is too strong of a word. He respected him. He had to admit Shao Fei worked harder and more passionately on everything he did than Tang Yi had ever put towards anything. That isn't to say Tang Yi was lazy, he just naturally and easily got good grades, but lacked a driving force like Shao Fei. 

Tang Yi, naturally, got into the school of his choice which was, naturally, the same as his self-professed rival. The mindset of the class was that Tang Yi would have gotten into the same (or better) schools as Shao Fei. Tang Yi, much to Shao Fei's displeasure, maintained the number one spot from his appearance at their school until the end. So, he took pity on his missing rival, who had treated him kindly (despite the competitive nature of their relationship) by stopping the rumors that Tang Yi’s dad was killed in a gang fight. 

He told the class that he didn't get into the top university either. Tang Yi was simply returning the favor.

The class, not knowing Tang Yi as one to lie, or even speak up at all, believed him. They all sighed and said if those two didn't make it, then there was never a chance for the rest of them. Shao Fei, finding out about this upon his return, was delighted. Finally, he beat the unbeatable Tang Yi! He secretly felt a pang of something, deep inside, that might have been disappointment that he wouldn't see that smug, beautiful face again. But he was off to university, with dreams to chase and no Tang Yi!


	2. Chapter 2

Imagine, if you will, the look of horror and shock on Shao Fei's face when he discovered who was sitting across the lecture hall from him in his very first Intro to Robotics class on his very first day. Tang Yi, with his perfectly clean suit, complete with a tie pin and shiney shoes! Shao fei was horrified first because Tang Yi said he didn't get in, but there he was, taking his notebook out and getting ready to take notes. And also because who wore a suit to university classes?! Shao Fei glanced at the other students, who all were wearing casual clothes. The audacity of that Tang Yi!

Luckily for Shao Fei, the lecture on the first day wasn't important. He spent the entire time staring at Tang Yi, trying to figure out how and why he was there. Did he bribe someone? Did he beg? Shao Fei was certain Tang Yi hadn't lied about not getting in. Tang Yi wasn't a liar, he felt it in his gut. After the lecture ended, Shao Fei packed up his stuff as fast as possible and ran to confront Tang Yi. Several other students looked on scandalised as pencils went flying in his wake. But Shao Fei had a target to trap, and wasn't about to let him get away. 

"Tang Yi!" He yelled, voice much too loud for the enclosed space. "Why are you here?"

Tang Yi, glancing up from his backpack, rolled his eyes. "I'm going to class, what does it look like?" He calmly stood up and politely stepped around Shao Fei, who was stuck on the simplicity of the answer. 

"Tang Yi! You know what I mean. You said you didn't get into this university, tell me what changed!" Shao Fei blocked Tang Yi from walking past him by putting a hand on his chest. Tang Yi just rolled his eyes and knocked his hand off, walking around him.

"Tang Yi!!" Rang out behind him, but he kept walking.

And thus, the rivalry between Shao Fei and Tang Yi reignited. But this time (as with the first time, you may note), it was personal for Shao Fei. He vowed he'd find out what exactly Tang Yi had done to so thoroughly disrupt his life and get into this university.


	3. Chapter 3

Their fourth and final year of school started off uneventfully. Their capstone course, Robo-BattleBots, hosted an end of the year tournament between teams. Each group, consisting primarily of fourth-years, would design, program, and build a robot that would battle the other teams', until one bot was left standing. This event was highly anticipated by everyone in the robotics department, as the winning group landed a coveted internship with a top firm in Taipei. 

The teams split themselves predictably. Because of the high stakes and the obsessive rivalry, Tang Yi and Shao Fei had been carefully collecting people from their department to recruit for their teams the last three years. Despite his initial indifference, Shao Fei's constant nagging and wheedling for information finally ignited a passion in Tang Yi: to defeat Shao Fei completely and utterly. He knew he'd come to regret taking pity on Shao Fei in highschool, but he'd done it anyway. 

Tang Yi had in his group, named the Hsin Tien Group, several trusted members, including Jack and Hong Ye. Jack was good with his hands and had a way of unnerving others with his unwavering smile and loud motorcycle. Hong Ye was Tang Yi's beloved sister, who was wicked smart and extremely competitive. 

Shao Fei had on his team, called Unit 3, a ragtag collection of people, including Zhao Zi and Yu Qi. Zhao Zi and Shao Fei became fast friends, bonding over food and a passion for computers. Zhao Zi could code anything, and was the bright ray of sunshine every successful team needs. Yu Qi, an ambitious junior who got special permission to be on the team, was a good team player and could build amazing things out of nothing. 

Both teams were poised and ready to win and both seemed to have a good chance. But then, as these things tend to go, everything went completely off track when Tang Yi told Jack to try and spy on Shao Fei's team via the apparent weak link: Zhao Zi.


	4. Chapter 4

Zhao Zi was friendly and open with everyone, especially if they wanted to eat food with him. Jack only felt a little bad when he plonked down his bribe on the table on top of Zhao Zi's notes. Jack had quickly agreed to spy on the rival team because he thought it would be amusing to see Shao Fei's face puff up with rage when he found out. Spying was customary in this course. It just happened.

That, and one other small reason.

Jack had been nursing a secret crush on Zhao Zi since they'd first met, a year ago. He was happy to have an excuse to get closer to him, without either Tang Yi or Shao Fei breathing down their necks for it.

Jack picked a time to approach his quarry when he knew Shao Fei would be at his part time job. He didn't want this first approach to go the wrong way because of an overzealous Shao Fei jumping to conclusions.

Zhao Zi looked slowly up from the bento box dumped on the notes he was reviewing up to Jack's face, mouth slightly open.

"What's this?" He asked, looking almost suspicious.

Jack smiled and said, "it's a bento box, Shorty. I was thinking that it's a shame that Tang Yi and Shao Fei's 'rivalry' has kept us from being friends." He put emphasis on rivalry, rolling his eyes to show that he didn't take it seriously. _Wow_ , Jack thought, _I'm good at this spy thing_.

Zhao Zi eyed him for a minute before turning to the box, gasping quietly when he opened it. Inside was a beautifully laid out lunch, with a perfectly cooked egg on top. Jack handed him a pair of chopsticks and took the opportunity to sit down across from Zhao Zi as he dug in.

Jack opened his mouth to ask a leading question but got interrupted by Zhao Zi, talking through the food shoved in his mouth.

"I'm not that short, you know! A Fei and the rest of you are just weirdly tall," the indignant tone was clear, despite the food in his mouth.

Taken aback, Jack blinked and didn't know what to say. Luckily, he didn't have to come up with anything. Zhao Zi was still talking, happily eating the bento at the same time.

"Besides, being short isn't even that bad. I mean-- hey this is incredible! Did you make this?"

Jack nodded and said, "if you'd like, I can bring you another one tomorrow."

Zhao Zi's face lit up, his smile infectious and he grabbed Jack's hand that was sitting on the table. "Would you really?!"

Jack, completely caught off guard to suddenly be holding hands with his crush, mumbled out some answer. Zhao Zi, already returned to the food, didn't seem to notice his effect on Jack.

They chatted while Zhao Zi finished eating about nothing in particular. Jack, usually so focused, forgot entirely that this was a reconnaissance mission to spy on Shao Fei's team. It wasn't until after Zhao Zi had to run to catch his class that Jack remembered.

_Shit, Tang Yi is gonna be pissed_. But Jack wasn't mad. He'd spent a truly enjoyable hour talking to Zhao Zi, who was even more delightful than he could've imagined.


	5. Chapter 5

As the weeks progressed, Jack and Zhao Zi became closer as Jack continued to feed him. In return, Zhao Zi started telling him stories about his beloved and belated grandma. The stories always seemed a little too far fetched to be true, but Zhao Zi's earnest insistence that they weren't lies was enough that Jack started to believe them. Who's grandma wasn't at least a little magical, anyway?

Jack, for his part, completely ignored Tang Yi's continued pestering about intel, saying loose evasive statements like  _ I'm playing the long con _ and  _ I don't really think he knows anything that you'd find useful _ until he finally snapped at Tang Yi, "why don't you go do your own little spying mission on Shao Fei. You talk about him so much you must be in love with him."

Tang Yi didn't talk to him for a day, which was fine by Jack. It left him more time to text silly pictures to Zhao Zi, whose number he had scored last week. 

He was blatantly flirting with Zhao Zi, and thought he might be flirting back. It was hard to tell, since Zhao Zi was affectionate and kind to everyone. But Jack believed that the smile he got from Zhao Zi, even when he wasn't holding a fresh lunch box, was special and just for him. He resolved to be more direct the next time he got the opportunity. 

Lucky for him, Jack's big chance came that very day. Zhao Zi and he both were working late into the night at the lab, finishing up a difficult assignment. Usually, Zhao Zi walks home, his apartment being close enough to campus. But tonight it was dark and the weather was terrible. The rain let up just as Jack and Zhao Zi were leaving ("what a coincidence we finished at the same time!" Zhao Zi said, unaware that Jack had actually finished an hour ago and was just pretending to work so he'd have an excuse to offer to take him home), but the giant puddles were a worthy foe to Zhao Zi's canvas sneakers. 

"Wait here, Shorty, I'll be right back," Jack told him and jogged off towards the parking lot. A minute later, a loud motorcycle pulled carefully up to the curb, Jack grinning out from under the helmet. "Hop on, I'll take you home."

Zhao Zi eyed the bike apprehensively, glanced at Jack's reassuring smile, shrugged, and got on behind Jack, taking the helmet offered. He wrapped his arms tightly around Jack (whose heart rate shot up) and indicated that he was ready. 

Navigating carefully through the puddles, the trip to the apartment was short and uneventful. Uneventful, that is, if you ignore the fact that Jack could barely concentrate on driving because of the person pressed up against his back. But they made it in one piece without any scares, and that's what matters. 

Zhao Zi hopped off the bike, avoiding the large puddles pooled in front of his apartment. He turned to look at Jack, who had removed his helmet and turned off the motorcycle.  _ He’s lingering,  _ thought (or hoped) Jack, watching Zhao Zi fiddle with the gate before he opened his mouth. 

“Would you like to come in and have a snack with me?” Zhao Zi asked, looking hopeful and a little nervous. There was no way Jack could say no to that face and happily got off his bike to follow Zhao Zi into the small apartment. He looked around, eager to see where Zhao Zi lived. It was a comfortable apartment, opening into a cramped kitchen with a large fridge. Beyond the fridge was a small space with a table and a comfortable couch crammed in. The walls were decorated with pictures and shelves with knickknacks. An open door led to a bedroom, which Jack would soon learn contained a bed, bathroom, and a generous amount of cute stuffed animals. 

Together they made instant ramen and ate it, sitting side by side on Zhao Zi’s couch. Their legs were touching, distracting and delighting Jack. Setting the bowls aside, Zhao Zi sighed comfortably and leaned against Jack, who steamed his nerves and took his chance, putting his arm around Zhao Zi's shoulders. Taking a deep breath, Jack finally said the words he'd been trying to say since he first met him. The words all came out in a single, rushed breath.

"Shorty… I really like you and spending time with you would you maybe want to go out with me but it's okay if you say no because I'm happy just spending time with you but I also--" Jack bit off his words, his nerve getting the best of him. He figured that he must really like Zhao Zi to have lost his cool and usually so smooth vibes so quickly. He started nervously picking at a spot on the knee of his jeans with his free hand, hoping Zhao Zi understood.

Zhao Zi sat up and pulled marginally away from Jack. To his credit, he only looked slightly surprised. Jack swallowed nervously, unsure of the response he was going to get, his nervous fingers freezing in place. His worries quickly vanished as Zhao Zi leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips before blushing furiously and hiding by burrowing into Jack's side. Jack laughed and hugged him closer. Neither stopped smiling the rest of the night.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: minor violence

_ "Why don't you go do your own little spying mission on Shao Fei. You talk about him so much you must be in love with him." _ The words Jack snapped at Tang Yi rang in his ears for days afterwards. 

_ I don't love Meng Shao Fei, that's ridiculous! He's been a nuisance since I first met him and all I want is to get rid of him,  _ Tang Yi thought as he angrily paced the length of his bedroom.

_ But what if he's right, _ a small, barely heard voice whispered in his head.  _ What if you've been obsessed with him, chose the same university as him, and even chose the same major just to stay near him?  _ Tang Yi stopped walking, horrified by the validity of the thoughts. He never once considered robotics until he met Shao Fei. Before he planned on going into business, maybe starting a couture suit store or something like that. 

He couldn't be… He couldn't! The idea was too ridiculous! It was absurd! It was completely devoid of sense and reason. Huffing, he flopped into bed and turned off the light.

_ Shao Fei really is cute, especially when he smiles,  _ the traitorous voice whispered. Tang Yi let out a strangled yell and buried his head under his pillows.

The next day he stormed up to Shao Fei before their class started, glared at him, opened his mouth to insult him, but nothing came out. Shao Fei watched him, perplexed, waiting for Tang Yi to say something. Instead, Tang Yi turned on his heel and stormed over to his seat next to Jack (who was smiling like an idiot, what did he have to be so happy about anyway?) and sulked the entirety of the lesson.

Shao Fei was very distracted the whole lecture, continuously glancing towards Tang Yi while wondering what that was about. Tang Yi rarely initiated interactions with him, it was always Shao Fei who got up in his space and got under his skin. After the class ended, Tang Yi disappeared almost before the professor stopped talking. Curious, and not one to let Tang Yi get away with anything remotely fishy, Shao Fei ran after him. He forgot his notebook, which wasn’t even an unusual occurrence. He also failed to notice how Zhao Zi immediately went over to Jack to say hi, but we can forgive him for this oversight. He was on a mission. 

When he got out of the classroom, he looked for Tang Yi and caught a glimpse of a well polished shoe leaving through a side door. Shao Fei ran after him. He burst through the door and had completely lost sight of his prey. Instead, in the shade of a large tree he saw Hong Ye with unusual company; an unfamiliar older man was standing far closer to her than casual conversation called for. She was pressed up against the tree and appeared thoroughly disgruntled. Shao Fei, always one to nose into other people’s business, walked over and was about to ask if Hong Ye had seen where her brother had gone when he noticed what the unfamiliar man was holding: a knife.

Shao Fei jumped quickly to action, grabbing the man from behind to pull him away from Hong Ye, who kicked out at the man. The two men fell to the ground and tousled briefly before Shao Fei managed to knock the knife out of reach. Hong Ye, ever industrious, tied the man’s hands behind his back with a tie she had in her bag. Shao Fei briefly wondered why she had a tie in her bag considering that he’d never seen her wear one, but quickly forgot about it when he noticed a much more pressing issue. Blood was seeping through his shirt near his belly button. 

Hong Ye, finishing tying up her prey, looked at Shao Fei and opened her mouth to speak and stopped mid-word when she saw the blood on his shirt. Quickly, she called for an ambulance. Tang Yi, who was alerted to the situation by the crowd that had begun to form, ran up to Hong Ye, who was leaning over Shao Fei.

  
“Are you hurt? What happened?!” he almost yelled, grabbing her and looking for signs of damage. She silently pointed at Shao Fei, who had lost consciousness. The world spun around Tang Yi as he looked down on him.


	7. Chapter 7

Shao Fei woke up disoriented in a hospital bed. His head was heavy and his eyes wanted to close but he forced himself to look around. Sitting next to him in the dim light was Tang Yi, of all people. Maybe it was just the painkillers speaking, but Tang Yi looked concerned. The worry changed the usually sharp lines of his face to softer and younger lines. He had his eyes closed, but his hand was resting on the bed next to Shao Fei’s. Shao Fei stared at Tang Yi and wondered why he was there. Licking his lips nervously, he moved his hand the few inches between them and touched Tang Yi’s. Waking with a start, Tang Yi met Shao Fei’s eyes before looking at their touching hands. Slowly he rotated his hand so it was palm up, allowing their hands to hold each other.

  
Shao Fei smiled and fell back asleep. Tang Yi stayed awake watching Shao Fei and their hands for longer than he’d ever admit. 

When the doctor came in to check on Shao Fei in the morning, he found him awake and arguing with Zhao Zi. 

“I feel fine, why do I have to stay here? I have to work on the project,” he practically yelled to Zhao Zi, who stubbornly folded his arms and rolled his eyes. Shao Fei turned to the doctor, wincing when he moved his arms too fast in the process. 

“Your stab wound wasn’t too deep and missed anything important--” started the doctor before he was cut off by Shao Fei.

“Then that means I can leave!” Shao Fei tried standing by pushing himself up with his arms and groaned loudly, collapsing back into bed.

“However,” continued the doctor like he hadn’t been interrupted, “the knife did cut through muscle, which will take time to heal completely. This means you must take it easy for several days.” He continued to give a list of movement restrictions, with the suspicion he’d see Shao Fei again soon with popped stitches. He didn’t seem like the type to follow constraints well. 

Shao Fei was released later that day, escorted by a disgruntled and worried Zhao Zi who had the same (very valid) worries as the doctor. His friend was not a person to listen to any directions and always insisted on doing anything that he thought needed to be done. Zhao Zi hoped he wouldn’t be seeing Shao Fei in the hospital again soon, but figured it would happen. Maybe he should get Jack to pack him a lunch next time…

“Hey, Zhao Zi…” Shao Fei glanced at his friend, cheeks coloring slightly. “Did you see Tang Yi here when you got here this morning?”

“Tang Yi? Why would I see him here? Hong Ye wasn’t hurt.” Zhao Zi looked perplexed at Shao Fei, who was studiously staring in the opposite direction. 

_ Weird, _ thought Zhao Zi.  _ They must’ve given him the good pain meds. _


	8. Chapter 8

Maybe Shao Fei had just imagined Tang Yi in the hospital. It seemed so absurd that he had come and held his hand in the middle of the night. Though, he had to admit, his heart fluttered at the thought. He and Zhao Zi made it to his apartment with no (remarkable) incidents, and Zhao Zi waved merrily as he left once Shao Fei was settled in bed with everything he would possibly need within arm’s reach.

He stared at his phone, looking at the contact saved for Tang Yi. He couldn’t remember how he ended up with the number. He’d never called or texted Tang Yi and he was trying to now get the nerve to do either for the first time. He finally gathered enough courage to press the call button, but right before he could, Shao Fei got an incoming call. It was Tang Yi!? He actually dropped his phone in shock and had to hurry to pick it back up.

“Hello?” he answered tentatively, unsure what to expect.

“What’s your address?” Tang Yi asked briskly, skipping greetings entirely.

Shao Fei, completely perplexed, gave it to him. Tang Yi made a noise of affirmation and hung up. Thirty minutes later, there was a knock on the door.    
  
“It’s unlocked!” called Shao Fei. Zhao Zi hadn’t locked the door in case he needed to come in to help. He heard the door open, close, and fabric rustle as someone walked through the apartment. Tang Yi stood in his bedroom door, holding a bag of food and looking out of place. 

“I brought you food,” he muttered, unnecessarily holding up the bag for Shao Fei to see. Shao Fei stared at him with round eyes, shocked. Laughing a little at his expression, Tang Yi moved closer and set the food on the table next to Shao Fei. 

“Thank you for helping Hong Ye. That man was threatening to stab her if she didn’t go with him,” Tang Yi said formally, bowing his head slightly to Shao Fei, whose expression hadn’t changed except for when his mouth fell open. 

“Um…” Shao Fei was at a loss for words, something he had experienced only a handful of times. Tang Yi, seeing this, laughed lightly again. He stood there awkwardly as Shao Fei gaped up at him. After a minute of this uncomfortable interaction, Tang Yi started to turn away to leave. 

“Wait!” Shao Fei lunged to catch Tang Yi’s sleeve, wincing in the process (“quick movements” was on the list of banned activities the doctor gave him). Tang Yi stopped and turned around, looking at the hand that now held his sleeve.

“Would you stay and eat with me? I don’t like being alone,” Shao Fei asked, blushing and not letting go of Tang Yi. Startled, Tang Yi nodded and looked around for a place to sit. Seeing nothing, he was about to go grab a chair from the kitchen when Shao Fei said “just sit on the bed next to me.” Looking skeptical about the prospect of eating on the bed, Tang Yi sat down and leaned against the headboard. 

  
Together they ate the food and tea supplied by Tang Yi. At first, they ate in silence because neither really knew what to say to the other. Shao Fei kept glancing at Tang Yi from the corner of his eye until he got caught looking. Shoving the rest of his bite of food into his mouth, Shao Fei launched into a stream of questions about the food.

"Where is this food from? Do you know if they used beef really from Mongolia? What--" Shao Fei asked before he was cut off by a look from Tang Yi. Shao Fei looked back down at the food and shoved more into his mouth.

“The beef is from Mongolia,” Tang Yi answered after a moment of silence. Shao Fei glanced up and realized that Tang Yi was smiling at him. Nervously, he swallowed his food and tried to think of something other than the food to talk about. 

What would he and Tang Yi have in common, besides school? Dramas? It seemed unlikely to Shao Fei that Tang Yi would watch any dramas. Hobbies? Shao Fei had to admit he didn’t have any to speak of, all he did was school. He felt conversation should be easier to start, but there was a fog in his brain (from being so close to Tang Yi or from all the painkillers? You decide). However, he was saved from coming up with a good topic because Tang Yi spoke up first. 

“Have you seen any good dramas lately?” Tang Yi asked, staring at his food. He seemed almost embarrassed to have said the words out loud. Shao Fei, completely surprised, responded and quickly rattled off some of the most recent shows he’d seen, interrupting himself when Tang Yi made a noise of recognition.

“Wow! You’ve seen that one too?!” 

“You don’t have to act so shocked, I do things outside of school,” retorted Tang Yi, cheeks reddening. Shao Fei laughed at his reaction and quickly backtracked and apologised. They began talking about the drama they’d both seen, and learned their favorite characters were the love interests. Tang Yi, surprisingly, found the quirky loud character to be the most enjoyable to watch. Shao Fei liked the brooding, silent character best. 

After this revelation, conversation came easier and they discovered a variety of common interests. They continued talking, only noticing that time had passed when the room got dark and their stomachs grumbled. 

Tang Yi ended up spending the night next to Shao Fei in his bed, and had the best night of sleep he’d had in years.

They woke up in the morning spooning comfortably. Tang Yi was holding Shao Fei close, face tucked into the back of the other’s neck. He felt well rested and content, before he realized how he was laying. And who he was laying with.

_ Shit. I do like him,  _ Tang Yi swore to himself. Perhaps he tensed at the thought, because Shao Fei woke up at that time. He stretched, stopped suddenly when he realized arms were around him. He turned his head, as much as he could and looked at Tang Yi. Their eyes met briefly, both frozen in their positions. Tentatively, Shao Fei smiled and laid his head back down (he was tired, getting stabbed is a lot of work). 

Shao Fei and Tang Yi eased into a relationship. They argued frequently in the beginning, but it was more out of habit than real malice. Shao Fei is a handful and had a hard time coming to terms with how hard his heart beat whenever he saw Tang Yi. Tang Yi, who had years of dealing with Shao Fei already under his belt, took it all in stride. He also struggled admitting that the person who had been such a thorn in his side was now his boyfriend. 

Both of them, with their pride firmly intact, agreed to keep their relationship private (another word for secret) for the time being. Plus, considering the amount of shit they’d given any of their teammates for even exchanging pleasantries with the other team, admitting their feelings could get embarrassing. The teasing would be relentless and well deserved.


	9. Chapter 9

Over the next months as school got busier and they all had less and less free time, nothing really seemed to have changed. Shao Fei continued to obsessively work on their project, stubbornly citing a need to beat Tang Yi. Zhao Zi, Yu Qi and the rest of the team worked diligently. Tang Yi’s group was also working around the clock. He hadn’t bothered Jack about his intel mission in weeks, and Jack was more than happy to pretend to forget about them.

Jack and Zhao Zi both agreed that sharing their relationship with Shao Fei and Tang Yi might lead to some… drama. Both always got irrationally angry when the other was brought up, and would likely call their relationship a betrayal. So they spent their days doing school work with their groups and their free time together, usually tucked away in the privacy of Zhao Zi’s apartment. It definitely wasn’t ideal. Zhao Zi felt like he was sneaking around and lying to Shao Fei. You shouldn’t lie to your best friend, but he was. Shao Fei spent much of his time these days muttering to himself and looking stressed out over the project and Zhao Zi didn’t want to add to that. 

  
There were a few close calls where they almost got caught. Because Jack and Tang Yi lived together, and they agreed that it would be very hard to explain why Zhao Zi was there without coming clean, they spent most of their time at Zhao Zi’s. However, Shao Fei’s complete disregard for personal space and knocking was causing issues. 

One morning, after Jack had spent the night and they were cuddling in bed, Zhao Zi’s phone started vibrating. He picked it up and groaned. It was Shao Fei, who he had a meeting with and completely forgot about.    
  
“Shit, I gotta go!” but as soon as he hopped out of bed there was a hammering on the door.    
  


“Zhao Zi! Wake up! We have so much to work on!” Shao Fei was yelling outside the apartment door. Zhao Zi froze, his face almost comical as he looked between Jack, still in the bed, and the apartment door with Shao Fei behind it. 

“Stay quiet,” he warned Jack, who looked like he was about to laugh. Zhao Zi quickly threw on a sweatshirt and jeans and yelled at Shao Fei to wait a second. He closed the bedroom door before letting in Shao Fei, who burst right in. 

“I’ve called you like eight times, why didn’t you answer?” Shao Fei demanded, staring accusingly at Zhao Zi. He took in the disheveled appearance of his friend and the closed bedroom door. Living alone, Zhao Zi almost never closed the door to his room. Immediately Shao Fei was suspicious. 

Sensing danger, Zhao Zi quickly redirected Shao Fei’s attention by grabbing his backpack and pushing him back towards the front door. “Let’s go work on that code, I think we can finally get it running properly today.”

Completely sidetracked, Shao Fei allowed himself to be led out of the apartment and didn’t notice the look of relief on Zhao Zi’s face. 

Once, Jack nearly caught Shao Fei at his apartment. Jack, who originally had told Tang Yi he wasn’t going to be home that night (Tang Yi didn’t ask and Jack didn’t share), had returned back to pick up a textbook he’d forgotten. Shao Fei and Tang Yi, who were in bed having a great time, only heard the key in the lock by chance. They stayed still, in truly hard to maintain positions, until they heard Jack leave again. Laughing, they continued their antics.


	10. Chapter 10

Finally, after months of coding, building, late nights at the lab, and secret dates with boyfriends, the competition was a week away. One week to put the on final touches, test them out (in secret, can’t have anyone spying to get a leg up), and to try and avoid Shao Fei’s attempts to rope any unsuspecting team member into pulling an all nighter to achieve the perfect paint job. Zhao Zi barely had time to complain to Jack about how he didn’t even have time to complain!

Feelings were tense the morning of the competition. Everyone had been working until the last minute to perfect their robots and strategies. Some members had left their teams when tensions got too high (“let her go! If she can’t handle it, we don’t need her!” Shao Fei reportedly yelled at Yu Qi’s retreating back). Everyone gathered at the arena, precious bots in tow. Final checks were made, chants were chanted, and the battle began!

Robotic arms, saws, chains, parts flew. A total of six groups had entered robots. By far, Shao Fei’s group’s robot was the flashiest. Tang Yi’s group’s robot was sleek and elegant, but equally as eye-catching. Tang Yi and Shao Fei’s robots went after each other with a vengeance, as if the creators had instilled their own rivalry into the very code of the bots. Honestly, they probably did. To an outsider witnessing the decisiveness of their directions to obliterate the other’s robot, it would appear that the two hated each other. Definitely not that they were actually secretly dating. But such is competition! Love doesn’t land you internships, winning does. 

Suddenly, with a loud BANG!, Tang Yi’s elegant robot split in half and veered off two separate directions. Shao Fei, convinced his team landed the decisive blow, let out a cheer. They had done it!! Victory was theirs!!! They went wild!

  
That is, until their team’s robot also split in half, flying into the wall and exploding in a fantastic shower of sparks. Shao Fei and the rest of the participants stood, mouths open, gaping at the scene of wreckage before them. Out of the smoke, in the most dramatic entrance one could ask for, rolled out a robot previously unnoticed by either team. It was small, simple, and had a huge saw blade, perfect for hacking unsuspecting robots apart. Cheering began on one side of the arena. 

“WE DID IT!!!” Hong Ye and Yu Qi yelled, jumping up and down hugging each other. “WE WON!!!”

Shao Fei’s jaw, which had already reached its max for how far it could hang open, fell even farther open. Tang Yi, who’d kept his cool composure mostly in check this whole time, also had his mouth open in shock. The silent surprise (these idiots never saw it coming; they forgot other people existed in this competition. Ah, love-struck fools.) was broken first by Zhao Zi, who laughed and started clapping for the winners. Quickly, everyone joined and rushed to admire the winning design.

Tang Yi, stepping over the sad remains of his beloved project, walked through the arena to stand next to Shao Fei. 

“Well,” he said, taking Shao Fei’s hand, “at least we’re still graduating at the top of our class…”   
  
Shao Fei, whose mouth hadn’t managed to close yet, turned to look at his boyfriend. Seeing Tang Yi’s relaxed smile and feeling his hand in his, made him finally close his mouth and smile back. 

“That’s true… Internships are overrated anyway.” Laughing, they went to congratulate the beaming Hong Ye and Yu Qi, who were being thoroughly questioned by a grinning Zhao Zi. Jack’s arm was around his shoulders, in a would-be-casual way if Zhao Zi wasn’t holding the hand draped over his shoulders.

_ Wait, what?  _

Shao Fei and Tang Yi both did a double take. Shao Fei looked at Tang Yi, as if asking “since when have those two been a thing?” Shrugging and laughing, Tang Yi just shook his head that he didn’t know.

Jack, glancing over at Shao Fei and Tang Yi, quickly noticed their hands and nudged Zhao Zi to point it out to him. He said something in Zhao Zi’s ear, who sighed and rolled his eyes. 

“What was that?” Shao Fei demanded, stomping over with Tang Yi in tow. He looked suspiciously between the two, who had burst out in a fit of giggly laughter when confronted.

“Jack… bet me…. that you… two… were actually dating,” Zhao Zi wheezed out between laughs, almost doubling over at the expressions on his friend’s face. Then he started to laugh as well.

“It was only a matter of time, wasn’t it?” He agreed, tightening his hold on Tang Yi. 

~~THE END~~


	11. Epilogue

PSYCH There’s more.

They get married and have a great time. THe end 


End file.
